Stream: Augustines, ‘Are We Alive?’

Kevin Bronson on July 26th, 2016

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“Are we alive? Or are we just kidding ourselves?” Billy McCarthy bellows as Augustines’ new album “This Is Your Life” kicks off at a vein-popping gallop. The album, the trio’s third and released in June, maintains a fever-pitch urgency throughout even as the band — McCarthy with Eric Sanderson and Rob Allen — expands its sonic palette. Recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Bridgeport, Conn., with Joe Chiccarelli and Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Frightened Rabbit) the album features Senegalese vocalists Pape and Cheikh on the songs “May You Keep Well” and “Running In Place” and sees the band incorporating electronics into their music. “We had in the past flirted with samples and what-not, but never really on the percussive side,” explains drummer Allen. “We had great fun messing and experimenting with older analog instruments like 808’s and 909’s as well as more modern instrumentation, like the Roland Spd-SX and Maschine.” Whatever their ingredients, Augustines’ songs always sound like anthems, and the trio remain one of the relentlessly great indie-rock bands of the past five years. As with young Will Morphey, the driver who’s featured in the video for “When Things Fall Apart,” we’re glad Augustines are in the race.

||| Stream: “Are We Alive?”